Jung Jin-seok Withdraws Candidacy for By-Election, Vows to Serve Party

Jung Jin-seok, a former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, announced on May 7 that he is withdrawing his candidacy for the by-election in Chungnam's Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang districts. He stated, "I will return to being an unnamed party member and serve the party from a humble position."

In a Facebook post, he expressed concern that his candidacy could harm party unity or weaken the momentum needed to counter the dominance of major powers. He said, "While I am in pain, the party is suffering greatly as well," and confirmed his commitment to follow the party's decisions, including those of Park Deok-heum, the nomination committee chair.

Jung emphasized his dedication to the victory of conservative patriotic forces, stating, "The only alternative to stop the Democratic Party's reckless governance is the People Power Party. I hope the public will look at us once more, even if they dislike us." He urged support for the People Power Party to counter the authoritarian rule of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Concerns had been raised within the party that Jung's nomination could negatively impact the local elections. Kim Tae-heum, the candidate for Chungnam governor, hinted at the possibility of leaving the party if Jung were nominated.